But we have all been there. Whether it is sitting around the Christmas tree with a forced smile as we open an unwanted – and slightly insulting – set of bathroom scales. Or the teenage horror of receiving a pair of matching shell suits for you and your sister. Over the years, it is bound to happen.

But for those of you who have been left feeling underwhelmed by Father Christmas, you need not despair as you do have options. And if your conscious won’t let you head to the shops for a replacement, there are also ways to pass on your unused pressies for the benefit of others.

Read on for five ways to deal with Christmas disappointment without ruffling your relatives' feathers.

1. Get a refund

If you find yourself with a duplicate item on Christmas morning, you might want to consider heading to the shops for a refund.

However, retailers are not obliged by law to offer refunds or exchanges simply because you do not want the item. But at this time of year, many large store have fairly flexible return policies.

Not a fan of the novelty pants you got for Christmas?

To get a cash refund, rather than a credit note or an exchange, then you will need the receipt or other proof of purchase. Many retailers offer “gift receipts” which can be included in presents without revealing the price.

A receipt also ensures that you get the full value for which the goods were sold. Without a receipt any refund will be for its current value, and given that most sales now start before Christmas, this could be significantly less.

But bear in mind that if the item was bought on a credit or debit card, then you will not be able to get the cash back, even with a receipt as retailers must put the credit back on the card.

If this happens to you, you will be able to get a credit note or a voucher, provided that the retailer is confident that the goods were bought from their shop.

This is easier with clothing which have brand labels, but when it comes to games, books, CDs and DVDs you may run into problems. However, if such items are still shrink wrapped and have the security tags attached, you may be able to exchange them.

If you receive electrical goods or gadgets that you think you may want to exchange, don’t take them out of the box as you may not be able to get a refund, even if it has never been used. It is also important to apply for refunds promptly. Most stores will only exchange goods for 28 days after purchase.

2. Give your gift to charity

If the reindeer-covered jumper you got from your Auntie doesn’t suit your style, why not donate it to charity instead?

If it is new, unused and in good condition they are likely to want it - but the condition is vital. Charity shops are not interested in damaged goods or broken toys. If it’s a case of wondering whether you should throw it in the bin or give it to Oxfam, then it is probably not of much use to the charity shop.

However, bear in mind that most charity shops will not accept electrical items for safety reasons and most will decline perishable goods, so you might want to hold off on offering that tin of apricots soaked in brandy.

3. Sell your gifts online

Figures from eBay show that last year consumers listed more than 100,000 unwanted Christmas gifts on the online marketplace. What’s more, the site suggests that one in 10 gifts the average person is set to receive this holiday period will be left unloved under the tree.

The auction site has even come up with a new term to lessen the guilt: rather than ungratefully flogging your gifts to the highest bidder you are merely “rehoming” them.

To begin selling on eBay, you will need to register and then create a seller’s account. To open an account, visit ebay.co.uk and click on the “Sell” link at the top of every eBay page. Then select the link marked “Create a Seller’s Account” and enter your details. For verification purposes, you will be asked to provide credit or debit card details and bank account information.

Ebay offers a route to 'rehoming' unwanted presents.

Before you place anything for sale, preparation is key – do your research and be realistic. To get an idea of how much you can expect to sell your item for and to find out how other sellers have sold similar items, check eBay’s “Completed Items” search.

There are two ways to sell your stuff, either through an auction-style listing or at a fixed price with “Buy It Now”. For beginners, the auction is the way to go as with the fixed price option you will need feedback from at least 10 sales in order to list.

You can start your auction-style listing at 99p and keep in mind that the lower you start the bidding, the more likely you are to sell an item. Many sellers list items for seven days, in order to include a weekend, as Sunday evenings are the busiest for shoppers.

To maximise potential bidders, write a descriptive title using all relevant keywords and always include photos. Once the listing ends, contact the buyer to arrange payment and get delivery details. Only post the item once you receive payment.

Although eBay is the biggest online auction site, it isn’t the only one. In fact, its size can be a drawback: if there are 30 copies of Clare Balding's 'My Animals and Other Family' up there, your copy may be overlooked.

Also worth a look is Amazon.co.uk which has became famous for selling books, but in the past 10 years it has expanded and now sells everything from bicycles to bath mats. Unlike eBay, Amazon sells at fixed prices and listings can last for months or years, and listing an item is easy.

A listing for a book, for example, only requires a search for your books by title, ISBN or EAN, so there is no need to write a description or bother with pictures. The EAN, or European Article Number, is a bar code similar to a UPC code in the US.

This 12 or 13-digit product identification code identifies the product, manufacturer, and its attributes; typically, the EAN is printed on a product label or packaging. Just select the condition of the item, for example, "like new", and choose a price. You will be notified by email when an item sells and postage is broken down by item category and automatically added to your listing, so you do not need to bother with a set of scales.

4. Throw a swapping party

If you can’t swap your gift, you can always recycle it, and pass it on to someone else. One way to do this is through a gift-swapping party. Invite your friends round and tell them all to bring their unwanted gifts.

However, it might be worth drawing up some rules first; perhaps let everyone start by picking up one thing, then go around the circle again, or draw lots for things that more than one person desires. Anything left could go to the charity shop.

5. Regifting

Alternatively, you can opt to regift the item. It may not be an instant money-spinner, but it could save you opening your wallet to pay for birthday, or even Christmas, gifts next year.

Although, for those of you looking to dispose of presents in this way you must take steps to avoid a massive faux pas. For instance, always keep a list of who have given you which present so the item is not returned to the original sender.

And to be on the safe side, always think carefully about to whom you give the present so you avoid any awkwardness through the new recipient having a connection to the original sender.

It also helps to keep items in their original packaging, so there is less chance of people spotting that their gift is second-hand.

So if you know you are never going to watch the boxed set of the second series of 'Friends', keep the wrapper on.

Telegraph Wonder Women wants to hear what's on your mind when it comes to money. Are you perplexed by pensions, enraged by energy bills or confused by childcare costs? Email your questions or comments to wonderwomen@telegraph.co.uk with 'Purse Strings' in the subject line and we'll consider including them in future columns.